GHETTO SUPERSTAR (24 page)

“I'm going to have you all moved over to our host hotel, which takes care of all our superstars and their guests.”

“No, that won't be necessary.”

“I insist. Fabiola, I don't know if you get it or not but you are about to be America's Sweetheart. I don't think you understand.”

Fabiola was in shock, because she couldn't believe Johnny's transformation. He was the complete opposite of the man she had met in the hotel in Richmond.

Johnny provided a limo to take Fabiola back to the hotel to meet Casino. She called Shug from the back of the limo.

“Hey, guurrrl!” Fabiola yelled into the phone.

“Hey, gurl, my butt! I've been waiting to hear from you all day. Why haven't you returned any of my calls?” Shug sounded off.

“I'm going to tell you all about it, but right now I just have to
let it marinate myself.” This was all like a dream come true to Fabiola. Success was so close that she could practically taste it. “Right now I'm just riding in my limousine,” she said teasingly twirling her finger through her hair, “on my way to my presidential suite in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Nothing much, actually, dahling,” she said, looking out of the window in the New York City traffic and wearing a smile that could light up the entire city. “What you doing?”

“A lot less than you, best darling,” Shug laughed. “I'm about to head out to the mall. Where's Casino?”

“Doing whatever it is he does,” Fabiola said in a playful tone.

“Then while Casino's not around I need to give you the heads-up that G.P. is out of jail and you know he been checking for you.”

“How about long story short, right now, I could give a fuck about G.P.'s ass. I just want to be happy and live out my dream and be with the man of my dreams.”

“I know, but I gotta keep you on your toes.”

“You right, thanks, girly” Switching the subject Fabiola said, “Girl, I really hope this works out so that I can buy my mother a house finally.”

“You will. I know you will. You are right there.”

“Oh yeah, did I mention that I just got finished recording a song with Teflon-the-Don?” Fabiola finally lost her cool and started to scream, “Did you hear me? Teflon-the-motherfucking-Don!”

“You lying!” Shug trumped her scream. “Oh my God!”

The radio in the limo was set on Strong 99, where hip-hop and R & B played all day.

“Girl, Charming Ching-a-Ling is on the air. I'll hit you right back. Let me hear the gossip.” Charming was the hot jock that everyone loved to hate. She got every piece of gossip before it hit
the wire or anything mainstream, the streets, the underground, or the grapevine, and if she didn't get it correct, she made it up—anything to make her show controversial. Dishing dirt was her forte and no other jock could fuck with her when it came to throwing mud. She barred no blame, and was always on the top of her game.

“This is the new joint by Fabiola Mays.” “Touch Me” played in the background. “For the fellas, this PYT looks just as good as she sings, and she can sing her damn aspirin off,” she said in her strong upstate New York accent. “But girls and boys don't think I've gone soft and won't produce the goods on our PYT. It turns out that Ms. Fabiola ‘Fabulous’ Mays is dating a man at least thirty years her senior. That there is just plain ole weird.” Charming offered her unsolicited opinion—as always—across the airwaves of her syndicated show. “I'm working on getting more details on our newest Pretty Young Thing as I speak. So stay tuned in, ya heard?” “Touch Me” continued to play full blast.

Fabiola was upset that her relationship with Casino was put out there for the world to know—she had nothing to hide—but she was vexed that they were making it sound like something perverted and not the genuine love that it had grown to be. She was on the verge of changing the station and never listening to it again when something happened. As she checked her makeup in her compact mirror, Fabiola noticed that the girl looking back at her wasn't vexed at all. How could she be so immature that she almost let her emotions and ego cause her to miss the big picture?

Girl please, when Charming Ching-a-Ling gossiped—good or bad—to her millions of listeners on the radio it translated to one thing: Fabiola “Fabulous” Mays had motherfucking arrived
.

She called Adora screaming at the top of her lungs to share the good news.

“Girl, things are so good here. I just made a song with Teflon-the-Don and how about they're playing my song on the radio again and Ching-a-Ling was talking about me on her show.”

“For real! Congrats li'l sis!” Adora was equally excited by all she heard. “Well, you know we've all been waiting to hear from you. DJ Lonnie B been playing your shit on blast here.”

“Oh my God. I am so excited.”

When Fabiola got back to the hotel, Casino was waiting with champagne and a rose-petal-laced bed. After taking her to dinner they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms, until he broke the news to her.

“Spade called me and I have to fly back home immediately.”

“What's going on?”

“I'm not even sure. All I know is that it is important.” He gazed into her eyes and gave her a firm look, took her hand, and said, “Please, baby. Respect that I don't discuss my business with you. That's the only way to keep you out of prison with a conspiracy charge.”

Fabiola wanted to know, but at the same time she had to do as her man asked, so she just nodded.

“Do you think that you will be all right in the city alone?”

“I'll be fine. The question is, will you be fine? That's what I am worried about.” She took a deep breath and poured out her heart to Casino. “It's hard for me to see you just ride into the fog knowing that I've seen you almost dead before. I couldn't stomach that.”

He cut her off. “It won't be that hardly. More like Spade may know who left me for dead. Now, I would feel better if you let me buy a ticket for one of your friends to fly in and stay with you until you leave in a few days.”

“I'm a big girl, don't worry about it. I'll be fine. I want to
work on some more songs with Taz, and besides Taz will make sure that I am a'ight. Plus, I'll be keeping myself pretty busy I've got an interview with Charming Ching-a-Ling the day after tomorrow,” she assured Casino.

“This is a big city to be in alone.”

“I know, but I'm only going to be here a few more days, and if Shug or Adora came down they'd probably get bored and end up doing their own thing anyway. And not to mention I think my mom may be coming to town because I think she's going to be meeting with that publicist.”

“That's right.” He remembered. “Well, promise to call me frequently to let me know that you're all right. Can you do that for me?”

“I'll do anything for you, Mr. Winn.”

The next day after finishing up with Taz at the studio, Fabiola got a call from Teflon, who asked her if she'd like to grab something to eat with him. She met him and about ten members of his entourage at Shelly's restaurant. They sat in a private back room, and several bodyguards were there to make sure nobody came in who wasn't invited.

Fabiola arrived in a Jolly Rancher–green halter Capri-style jumpsuit. From the time she entered the restaurant, all eyes were on her. Was it the jumpsuit or her walk that demanded everyone's attention as she made her way to the back of the restaurant?

Teflon tapped the dude sitting next to him on the leg. “Get up so the lady can have a seat.” Teflon stood to greet Fabiola. “It's nice of you to come.” Taking her hand in his, he said, “Have a seat.” He handed Fabiola a menu. “Are you the most beautiful person in the room everywhere you go?” he flirted.

“Compliments will get you everywhere,” she half joked. She was impressed and surprised by his diction and manners. He was
nothing like the persona he portrayed in his videos and interviews, but Fabiola knew she was here for business and not pleasure.

“I'm not going to bore you with the obvious then: You're lovely to look at, a great singer, and you have a mean two-step game,” he said. “That's a lethal combination. You're gonna go crazy far in this business.”

“Do you really believe that?” She couldn't help blushing from the compliment.

“I do. Every syllable of it. The press is gonna have a field day with you. They love a pretty face and a talented entertainer. Just be careful of the pitfalls and pit bulls.”

After placing her order with the waitress, Fabiola said, “Teflon”—it sounded like she sung his name—“I have complete respect for you, almost as much as I have for my man.” She hoped that she hadn't bruised his ego, because a man with money and power can be difficult to deal with, but she wanted to let him know about Casino up front to avoid any “misunderstandings.”

“Dude's a lucky man. I wish to one day be as fortunate with mines.”

“You will.”

There was an awkwardness between the two of them that Teflon broke. “You know, be aware of Johnny Wiz. He seems to like you a lot and have an appreciation for your talent.”

She shook her head. “I don't think so.”

“I saw how he was doting on you and practically kissing your ass. All I am saying is though the man writes me a lot of big checks and shit, I don't trust him as far as I see him, and even then.” He shook his head. “That dirty motherfucker will smile in your face and stab you in your eye.” He picked up his glass. “So take heed, baby girl.”

'm live in the studio with Fabiola,” said Charming Ching-a-Ling. “So, Ms. Fabiola, first I'd like to give you a big-city welcome.”

The studio at the radio station was warmer than Fabiola anticipated, and Charming Ching-a-Ling wasn't as glamorous as Fabiola imagined from listening to her over the airwaves. Charming was a chicken wing away from being a size 14 and stood about five foot six. Though she was a little thick she maintained it well—it was all solid. She wore a Strong 99 FM baseball cap over her long straight hair, and the cleavage from her implants peeked out of her black Strong 99 FM wife beater. Her dark-blue stretch jeans were strained to their limit by her butt implants.

“Thanks so much! I love New York.”

“You're actually from a town in Virginia, right?” Charming asked as if she really weren't sure of the answer. But make no mistake about it: Charming Ching-a-Ling had done her research.

“That's right,” Fabiola confirmed.

“You have that real down-home Southern belle air about you. Your mannerisms and all. I love how naturally pretty you are, not a lot of makeup. You know, my God, some of the people who come through here, ump, ump, ump”—she shook her head—“they really can give Tammy Faye Baker a run for her money.” She smiled warmly at Fabiola.

Fabiola laughed at the dig, while trying to guess some of the people Charming was referring to. Charming kept the show moving right along. “New York City, you know I give props where props are due, and no one has a problem with that. It only gets complicated when props are not due and I talk about it.” Charming's thick New York accent kicked in. “But that's neither here nor there today. Seriously, Fabiola is really pretty—just as pretty as her pictures.”

Fabiola knew to bring her A game to the Ching-a-Ling show, because that's what Charming did: she gossiped and talked about everything from baby daddies to fashion. Lord knows, Fabiola didn't want Charming calling the fashion police on her, like she did some of the other celebrities, on or off the show. So she just smiled on the outside and was happy on the inside that she had met the “Charming Approval.”

“I can tell that you are extremely fashion conscious, Fabiola. Most of the time you're dressed like you stepped off of Fifth Avenue. You really be getting your grown and sexy on.”

“Actually, that's more of my sister's department—Adora.” Fabiola was glad to give her sister credit. “She's always been into
fashion and design for as long as I can remember. She puts together all of my outfits.”

“When you say for a long time, how long are we talking?” Charming was famous for throwing mud, but not today. Viola had given her daughter charisma, and Fabiola's charm could mesmerize a snake.

“Since I was like three or four years old.”

“Wow, she should look into her own clothing line. Big shouts out to Adora!” Charming yelled.

“Thanks, sis!” Fabiola gave her sister a shout-out, then redirected her attention to the conversation at hand. “She will, all in due time. She's been spending so much time trying to make sure that I have what I need that she hasn't been able to focus on anything else. But now hopefully she will have time.”

“That's sweet of your big sister.” Charming shifted the subject. “So, I've heard that you have been spending a lot of time here. Is it because you are dating Teflon-the-Don?”

Fabiola was shocked the rumor mill had created that lie, and she hoped that Casino didn't hear it and take it to heart.
Well, he knew better anyway. Casino knows my heart belongs to him and him only
, she thought to herself, but she showed no emotion and calmly told Charming, “No, we're not dating at all. We did a song together called ‘A Boss Chick.’ If I must say so myself, the song is hot. As a matter of fact, I have it with me today to début it on your show. We wanted you to be the first place to spin it.”